Orchard heater



R. G. PHEYSEY ORCHARD HEATER May 16, 1939.

Filed F'eb. 17, 1937 zy Mae.

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to devices used in orchards to protect trees against frost.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means whereby smoke will be eliminated. 5 Another object is to provide means whereby the temperature can be raised.

Another object is to provide means whereby air can be preheated before it comes in contact with the products of combustion at the point of ignition.

Another object is to provide means whereby an existing orchard heater can be supplied with improvements of the present invention.

Another object is to provide heat transmitting means of greater durability.

Other objects will appear from the following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in which the iigure is a vertical mid-sectional View of smoke climinating and heat and temperature increasing means as applied over the top of a customary orchard heater.

Though it has repeatedly been suggested that smudge is not absolutely necessary for a proper protection of orchards against frost, even that smudge is rather detrimental to that extent that the smudge will not clear away sufficiently during the day-time to allow sunshine eventually to reach the ground, most orchard heaters are, in fact, unbelievably crude and even exceedingly improperly designed devices, apparently, designed with the strict intention of creating smudge, and, unfortunately, therewith to burn truly most inefliciently.

It would seem that the lower pots, such as roughly outlined at 4 in the figure are not necessarily to be condensed, and that the upper commonly used chimneys are really the principal trouble makers.

The form illustrated in the iigure has therefore the lower burner, or pot 4, retained in its structure as a whole, to indicate this, the pot being shown in finer lines than the essential newer parts.

As illustrated in the figure, there is an intermediate chimney 5 with air inlet apertures 6, mounted directly upon the pot 4 and arranged in such a manner that the ingoing air will intermingle with the Yfuel from the pot within this .to chimney 5, to ignite here, forming the primary combustion chamber, and so that the products of combustion will strike a second air control means so as to thereby heat it desirably.

This second air control means is in form of 55 a grate j, provided with a flange 8, extending into and below the upper edge 9 of the chimney 5 to an extent to form a narrow annular airinlet channel I0, there being ribs I I whereby the flange 8 is denitely spaced from the inside wall of the chimney 5. o

A horizontally disposed flange portion I2 is spaced above the top edge or end 9 of the chimney 5 by other ribs I3, forming the entrance for the channel I0, so that air passes in below the flange I 2 in the direction of the arrow Ill, to then continue downwardly through the channel lli, to finally have its direction deflected by the upwardly passing products of combustion in the direction of the arrows I5, at the same time intermixing with the products of combustion, this second air, however, being preheated while passing through the channel as described, serving to complete the process of combustion, intensied by the fact of the whirling action during the intermingling of the preheated air with the primary products of combustion.

It should, particularly, be understood, that the grate forms a retort for the incoming air, the grate being intensely heated on one side by the upwardly passing products of combustion from the primary combustion chamber so that the air is preheated while passing inwardly on the other side.

Forming a part of the grate 1, the central ribwork as illustrated, connecting the opposite portions of the tubular flange 8 and of the transverse flange I2, is directly in the path of the products of combustion from the primary combustion chamber upwardly with no chances of cooling, so as to eventually become heated to redness and even beyond. Such extreme heating of the central portions of the grate is readily transmitted and radiated to the ange portions so that these, even though subjected to the cooling effect by the inpassing air, will be maintained at a suitable temperature to serve as a preheating retort for the air.

With the products of combustion passing upwardly on the inner side of the flanges, and the ingoing air passing in the opposite direction over the outer sides of the anges, it is merely a matter of proportioning the iianges so that the air will be suitably preheated to contribute to a better combustion of the products of combustion from the primary combustion chamber as such preheated air intermixed with the primary products of combustion on entering the secondary combustion chamber in the upper chimney I6.

The immediate expansion of the products of combustion after the intermingling through the grate tends to retain the products of combustion suiiciently to further complete the combustion, to then be further retained temporarily in this secondary combustion chamber immediately above the flange I2 by the fact of decrease in the area of the upper chimney I 6, of which the lower end I1 is distinctly much larger than the upper end I8.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an orchard heater, a sectional chimney comprising lower and upper portions, and a grate interposed between the two portions and having parts spaced above the top end and from the inner wall of the lower chimney-portion in such a manner that air is caused to enter and pass radially inwardly and continuing in a downwardly direction and opposite to the normally upwardly passing products of combustion in such chimney portion so as to be preheated thereby preparatory to mixing with such upwardly passing products before entering the upper chimney portion.

2. In an orchard heater, a chimney, a partition dividing the chimney into distinct primary and secondary combustion chambers and having means to direct air radially inwardly and continuing downwardly into the primary combustion chamber in such a manner as to become preheated in a direction opposite to the discharge of the products of combustion from the primary combustion chamber into the secondary combustion chamber.

3. In an orchard heater, in combination with an old type pot-burner, an intermediate chimney having air-inlets at points near the burner of the pot burner facilitating the ignition at such points, a grate having parts spaced above the top end and from the inner wall of the intermediate chimney in such a manner as to direct and deflect air radially inwardly and continuing downwardly opposite to the normal passing of the products of combustion from the burner producing preheated air, and a second chimney mounted on top of the grate forming a secondary combustion chamber for said products of combustion in conjunction with said preheated air.

4. In an orchard heater, in combination with an old type pot-burner, an intermediate chimney forming a primary combustion chamber having air-inlets at points near the burner of the pot burner facilitating the ignition and combustion at such points, a grate having parts spaced above the top end and having other parts spaced from the inner wall of the intermediate chimney in such a manner as to direct and deect air inwardly and downwardly with respect to the intermediate chimney and in opposite direction to the normal passing of the products of combustion from the burner and primary combustion chamber, and a second chimney mounted on top of the grate forming a secondary combustion chamber, the second chimney being considerably larger at the bottom end than at the top end and also than the intermediate chimney facilitating a considerable expansion of the products of combustion from the primary combustion chamber on entering the secondary combustion chamber and adapted to retard the discharge of the products of combustion from the secondary combustion chamber due to the choking effect in the upper and narrower end of the l second chimney.

RICHARD G. PHEYSEY. 

